Belfast International Airport (County Antrim) weather

Headline:

Dry start but rain spreading north for the afternoon. Windy.

Today:

A dry start with clear spells. From late morning thicker cloud and rain, heavy at times will spread northwards over all areas. Winds becoming strong with risk of coastal gales. Maximum temperature 8 °C.

Tonight:

Cloudy with outbreaks of rain at first. Briefly turning drier with some clearer spells for a time, before further rain in the early hours. Coastal gales easing but remaining windy. Minimum temperature 5 °C.

Wednesday:

Mostly dry during daytime with just a few showers possible around coasts. Turning widely cloudier during the afternoon ahead of rain setting in by evening. Windy. Maximum temperature 9 °C.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:

Bands of rain and showers will push northwards through this period. Some drier and brighter intervals possible but staying mostly cloudy throughout. Occasional strong winds.

The UK will likely continue to sit in the battleground between Atlantic weather systems attempting to push in from the west, but tending to stall in the vicinity of the UK as they encounter high pressure to the north and northeast. As such, further spells of rain or showers are likely at times, which may be heavy and persistent, especially in the south and west, with the best of any drier interludes in the far north and northwest. Whilst mild conditions will encroach into the south and west at times, it is likely to turn somewhat colder through this period, bringing the risk of some snow, more especially on hills in Scotland and northern England.

Little overall change is expected in the weather patterns impacting the UK through much of this period, as Atlantic frontal systems attempt to push eastwards at times, but on a south-shifted storm track such that the wettest conditions are more likely in central and southern areas. North and northwestern parts of the UK are most likely to be drier than normal. Whilst mild incursions are favoured at times in the south and west, colder conditions in the north and northeast will bring associated wintry hazards as wet weather attempts to spread in, especially on hills.